How I Saw Paris This Week #26

Before we get to this week’s set a reminder that I’ll be hosting a Facebook Live walking tour of Paris, tomorrow (Saturday) at 3:30pm Paris time. That means you can join me live on video as I walk the streets to share some of my favorite views, details, and historical tidbits. Tell your friends! If you can’t join live you’ll find the complete video posted on my Facebook page. To my knowledge there’s no other Paris tour guide doing this sort of thing, so it promises to be an interesting experiment!

Now onto a healthy dose of Paris visual medicine:

I love the Covered Passages this time of year with their little festive touches. I’ve been giving a lot of tours through here lately, and no matter how many times I walk through I always find something to photograph, something I want to remember.Above the northern entrance of Passage Jouffroy (9th arr) are some rather dusty and neglected window panes. I got the idea to take a photo through them to see what would happen. Paradoxically the dirt and grime of the glass adds a rather dreamy effect!Recently I’ve branched out into some nature shots outside of town. It isn’t the version of Paris people expect, but I’ve always aimed to show different nuances of the city. As I get more into photography in general, frankly I’m excited for any subject matter.Another fern shot, because why not. Maybe one day I’ll have to change my blog name to A French Frye in the Garden…I’ve said it before – there’s nothing like that low-hanging winter sun. And with all the gray skies Paris has seen lately, a morning like this is extra glorious.This view got me in the Xmas spirit. It’s a café/bakery called Claus on Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1st arr). You’ll want to put this one in your Paris notebook because in my opinion they have the best lemon cakes in town!La Caféothèque in the Marais. There’s nothing across the street except the Seine river, so the sun tends to pour in from the south side and cast wonderful shadows. Oh and the coffee is the best. :)Biggest pet I’ve ever seen in Paris? Quiet possibly. Imagine what it costs just to FEED this beast! This is inside Galerie Vivienne (2nd arr).Same entrance of Passage Jouffroy (9th arr) with those dirty window panes (you can see them at the top). I liked this shot because there’s just enough of the exterior in the frame to make it feel like you’re an outsider peering into another world.When I finish my tours of the Marais I’m always on the hunt for a good wind-down with a cup of coffee. I found this place on Rue des Blancs-Manteaux called Terres de Café and they really know what they’re doing with a java bean.An original macaron shot is a tough thing to capture, but I gave it a go here. I don’t eat these all the time but when I do I always have this “Ah, I’m really in Paris now” kind of feeling.I was early to arrive one morning at a café called Joséphine in the Marais. They were preparing their goodies for the breakfast rush. In the background is loads of butter and confiture.The Luxumbourg Gardens have many beautiful views but this one I think is overlooked quite often. Not sure who the statue is but that’s the Panthéon in the distance, the place where the French bury all their favorite people. Will my remains ever make it into that building? Boy I’d have to be a REALLY good tour guide for that to happen. :)Charles de Gaulle airport might not be the most romantic of Parisian addresses, but from certain angles you can find some beauty in it.My go-to tea room, Le Valentin (9th arr), never ever disappoints with their window display. And they tell me that 99% of this is handmade downstairs in their kitchens. Impressive!The fleur-de-lys symbol always represented the Bourbon royal family so very few of them survived the French Revolution. These are on an old fountain on Rue de l’Arbre Sec (1st arr).Rue du Nil (2nd arr) is a street that foodies need to check out. Not only do the eateries Frenchie and Frenchie To Go blow people away, but the street in general has an old school market feel. It’s great to see in 2017 people still trying to create that village vibe.

Hope you enjoyed the set! Again don’t forget to watch my Facebook page for live video events, and keep an eye (or ear) out for the Paris podcast I’m on called The Earful Tower. If you’re coming to my neck of the woods you can get details of my walking tours over here.

19 comments

You’re really finding your voice as a photographer, Corey — I adore the dreamlike quality of your images! Thank you for this sublime post, even if it has left me homesick. But I hope to remedy that when I “see” you tomorrow! Break a leg! :)

Thanks Lady H! Yes I’m slowly closing the gap between what I envision and what I’m actually capable of doing. :) I’m not quite there yet but boy I’m having fun with it. I appreciate the kind words. I hope you caught my FB Live vid!

I’m THRILLED to read that you’re having fun with this new venture, Corey. I think you’ve really hit on something unique and special. And yes, I was indeed watching live (as was my better half, over my shoulder). I admit I cringed a little bit when you jaywalked but hey, you’re Parisian, so you can totally handle it. And I got an especially huge kick out of the parking ramp segment. I’m not sure if you remember, but that was one of the spots we walked to the first time we met and you were still assembling your Goonie Map. How far you’ve come since those days! Best wishes for much continued success in the year ahead.

Oh is that true? Haha…I don’t remember that detail specifically but I do remember walking past the Panthéon with you, and I remember exactly what you said – you told me that while you loved Paris, I clearly “belonged” here. That line made an impression on me and I’ll never forget it!

Thrilled to ‘re-find’ you here…. Or was it HERE I met you? That would be a double occasion to party – as I appreciate both your and Corey’s blog tremendously.
On 2nd thoughts, let’s take a raincheck for partying. Must first be well again….

My pleasure Sandra! Thanks so much for joining live, I never expected to get over 100 viewers on the first one. In general the response has been enormous and I feel very grateful. Next video coming soon and I’ll be sure to announce it so you can hopefully join. :)

Hi Corey! You already know I love your Facebook posts and videos, but would you believe this is the first time I’ve made it over to your actual blog? Ridiculous! Your photos are just so beautiful – you just capture the very essence of Paris and I love it! can I ask what camera you use? FYI – your live FB walks are absolutely going to land you a spot in the pantheon, you’ve got my vote for sure!!

Thank you so much! Yes the essence of Paris…what is it? That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out all of these years :-) All of my photos are taken with my iPhone 7 Plus. With a bit of tinkering I try to make them look like they aren’t, haha. I don’t have a choice really, carrying around a heavy camera wouldn’t work because I’m constantly on the move. I’m glad you found the blog, I try to put up a set of photos every week or so depending on how crazy my schedule is. Have a great day! By the way, another live video tour today at 4:30PM Paris time.

I follow you on Facebook but this is my first time on the blog. I have lots to come back to here to get myself up to speed. I also just contacted you about a tour in August. I’m getting pretty excited. This will be for our 50th anniversary…and yes, we can still tour.
I am so impressed with your photography here. I also love doing photography but have not yet achieved a consistent dreamy look that I am happy with in editing. I wonder if you would share what lens you prefer for these types of photos. I’m trying to decide what gear to bring and I’m would like to keep it simple. I have Canon big camera’s and about a year ago I got the Fuji XT-2, which I love for the lightness factor but I’m not sure what would be a great travel lens. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m looking forward to hopefully meeting you in August. Oh, I will bring hubby…we are a package deal.

Hi Cheryl, thanks for the lovely comment. I just replied to your tour request email as well. As for my photography I’m a firm believer in keeping my gear as portable as possible (I spend all day walking as a guide). So all photos are taken with my iPhone 7 Plus and I edit them mostly in Adobe Lightroom. No special lenses other than the occasional wide angle attachment I put on my phone. The atmosphere of these images is something I’ve worked very diligently on over the last couple of years, and in a way it’s simply a means to hide the fact that they’re cell phone photos, haha. I hope we’re able to tour together while you’re in town! All the best.

Take a tour of Paris with me

Looking for a unique tour of Paris? I have years of professional tour guiding experience and a passion for sharing all the beautiful, inspiring, and hidden corners of this wonderful city. To uncover its secrets and see Paris through my eyes, reserve a private walking tour by clicking "Tour Paris with the French Frye" at the top of the page and filling out the form.

Follow me on Instagram: @french_frye_in_paris

Visitor Stats

211,411 hits

Search

Search for:

Who is the French Frye?

Corey Frye was living in NYC when in 2006 a serendipitous encounter on a subway platform introduced him to a random French tourist. She had a cute accent and he could play the guitar, so things worked out and after many long Skype chats and even longer transatlantic flights they married and moved to Paris. As soon as he touched down, Corey fell under the city’s spell and has dedicated his time to exploring and unlocking its secrets ever since. He is now a highly sought-after tour guide as well as an editor and writer about all things Paris.